UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICESouthern District of New York
U.S. ATTORNEY PREET BHARARA

FORMER IONA COLLEGE VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE SENTENCED IN MANHATTAN FEDERAL COURT

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MARIE E. THORNTON, the former Vice President of Finance for Iona College, was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to time served and three years of supervised release with 2,000 hours of community service for embezzling more than $850,000 from the college. THORNTON pled guilty to one count of embezzlement on March 9, 2011. U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood imposed today's sentence.

According to the Information and statements made in Manhattan federal court:

From 1999 up to May 2009, THORNTON caused more than $850,000 belonging to Iona College to be diverted to her personal use by, among other things, submitting false vendor invoices for reimbursement to Iona College and submitting credit card bills for personal expenses to be paid by Iona College.

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THORNTON, 63, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was also ordered to pay $350,000 in restitution and a $100 special assessment fee.

Mr. Bharara praised the efforts and the assistance of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of the Inspector General.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office's Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Carrie H. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.